Tinder expands presence in Australia and Asia with new marketing hires

Tinder has hired three new marketing executives as it continues to expand across Australia and Asia.

The dating app has appointed Kristen Hardeman as the new country manager of Australia, as well as Hiroko Kujime and Giuliano Octavianos as marketing and business development managers in Japan and Indonesia respectively.

Hardeman will be responsible for overseeing marketing operations in Australia and building the brand strategically in market. Kujime and Octavianos will develop and execute strategic marketing initiatives for Tinder and optimise local campaigns for brand growth across Asia.

Prior to joining Tinder, Hardeman led consumer marketing for Intel Australia for five years, where she used marketing initiatives and strategic partnerships with the Sydney Opera House and Vivid Sydney to grow the brand and reach new audiences.

Hardeman also has extensive experience leading accounts at notable creative agencies in Sydney and New York including The Monkeys, Saatchi & Saatchi, and JWT. She worked across a broad range of sectors from technology to entertainment, banking, not-for-profit, FMCG and new business.

“When Tinder entered the market six years ago, it completely changed how people meet and date all over the world,” Hardeman said.

“I’ve been able to see first-hand how it has impacted social culture here in Australia and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to join such a trailblazing brand.”

Tinder CMO, Jenny Campbell, said as a brand that is at the intersection of culture and dating, Tinder was eager to find someone who understands the mindset of the Gen Z audience and who can help it reach them in an authentic way.

“Kristen’s background in creating unique experiences and strategically marketing to new audiences for the Australian market made her the perfect choice for the country manager role at Tinder,” she said. 

Launched in 2012, Tinder has people in more than 190 countries around the world swiping right to connect with others. Each day, 26 million matches are made on Tinder with more than 30 billion matches made to date.

In December 2014, Tinder had zero paying members but now boasts of more than four million subscribers, making it a top five grossing non-gaming app globally.

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